Bike for Work?

Crann na Beatha

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Tonyandthewhale

Depends on how long your commute is, what kind of terrain you'll be covering (road or are you lucky enough to have an off-road commute), what kind of stuff you'll be carrying (do you need to be able to carry panniers or just yourself) and your personal preferences.

Crann na Beatha

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Crann na Beatha

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mrcheez

Look for a hybrid bike. They have some of the speed benefits of a road bike (or "racer") with the upright sitting position of a mountain bike (less neck pain).

Specialized Sirrus would be my recommendation, they have various specs to suit your budget though the basic model might be around 700?

liamofT

Plenty of dedicated commuter models out there eg
Mine is Trek Allant was €550 I think
700x32 tyres
mudguards keeps work clothes clean
rear rack
ergonomic grips
swept bars rather than straight. I find straight ones on hybrid bikes hard on the wrists.
rapidfire shifters
adjustable stem. mine is fixed and would change it

Seaneh

Buy a road bike that will take mudguards and panniers.


Buying a road bikes gives you far more options for future use, buying a hybrid limits you to just commuting and short cycles. buying a road bike opens up the possibilities of using the bike recreationally.

Seweryn

Phoenix wrote: »

any more advice?

I would go for something simple and comfortable, like this or that. I assume you cycle within the town mainly? I also commute to Kilkenny, but from a remote location.
Not sure if you already own a bike, so you may already know that you do not need for example a shock suspension fork in the front, wide tyres, etc. You need a good set of mudguards, lights and possibly a rack to make carrying of own stuff more comfortable (back pack is not a good option, except on occasion or on a short distance).

Seweryn

Another option - this is a very nice bike for what you need. My friend bought one recenty for commuting and is very happy with it.

mrcheez

Seaneh wrote: »

buying a hybrid limits you to just commuting and short cycles.

I disagree, a hybrid can be more comfortable for long distance depending on your preferred riding position (e.g. upright vs leaning forward.. a lot of people get neck pain cycling road bikes), but I reckon the OP should try out both and see which is more comfortable for town cycling which is his/her priority.

liamofT

Seaneh wrote: »

Buying a road bikes gives you far more options for future use, buying a hybrid limits you to just commuting and short cycles. buying a road bike opens up the possibilities of using the bike recreationally.

I actually wanted a Dawes Galaxy as a touring bike but they are too expensive snif snif. I found road bikes too uncomfortable for commuting but its up to the individual.

Seweryn

liamofT wrote: »

I actually wanted a Dawes Galaxy as a touring bike but they are too expensive snif snif. I found road bikes too uncomfortable for commuting but its up to the individual.

It all depends on the distance and roads you cycle on. I use a road bike for my commuting, as it is the most suitable bike for the conditions. If my commutes were all in town, I wouldn't bother with a road bike.

Crann na Beatha

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Seweryn

Phoenix wrote: »

Any other ideas?

Are you planning to use the bike to cycle to work only or will you use it for other spins?

Phoenix wrote: »

ill probably be using the ring road to get to where i work from the callan road?

I commute through that road every day actually. You have a choice of using the road or the cycle path, depends on your destination.

Crann na Beatha

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Dermot Illogical

I'd recommend a drop bar road bike that can take mudguards if required.
Hybrid bikes are ok for what they are, but you can easily sit in pretty much the same position on a road bike, plus you can move your hands around to get a bit of variety if needed. That's very welcome on longer spins and/or cycling into a headwind.

Seweryn

Phoenix wrote: »

In the beginning was going to use it for work only but im thinking also to useit as a runaround town and go for the odd cycle

Road bike with mudguards would be my choice, something I suggested before, like this one as an example.

macnab

I bought a Carrera TDF for my commute and find it more than enough, the problem is that when I go to the mancave to get the TDF - my Trek Madone is just too damned sexy to ignore, so the TDF has been used maybe 4 times. I bought a Felt Hybrid last year for the same purpose but find it too heavy and less comfortable than either of my road bikes. The other downside of a hybrid is that because of the upright riding position you have more weight on your rear end and less on your arms so long distance spins can lead to a sore ass. Weight wise the Trek is about 7kg, the TDF is about 11kg and the Felt Hybrid is 13kg.

rollingscone

mrcheez wrote: »

Look for a hybrid bike. They have some of the speed benefits of a road bike (or "racer") with the upright sitting position of a mountain bike (less neck pain).

Specialized Sirrus would be my recommendation, they have various specs to suit your budget though the basic model might be around 700?

But a ton of lower back pain once you go past 40km.

I converted my flat bar hybrid to drops after getting used to them on my roadbike, I find it no problem for commuting short distances and a huge advantage for using it for other purposes (I use the rack at the back for carrying shopping etc and to bring gear to training further away).

There are lots of good city only bikes but I would never make the mistake of having one as my only bike again.

mrcheez

rollingscone wrote: »

But a ton of lower back pain once you go past 40km.

I use bar grips on my straight-handlebar which means I'm fairly forward when I'm cycling on the hybrid so don't find my weight is on the saddle too much anyway.

Drop bars are a no-no for me though cuz of neck pain.